The death of a 21-year-old woman is being blamed on drugs funneled via a heroin pipeline from Canton to Carrollton.

“I want it (heroin) out of our town, so no one else has to ever suffer through this. No one should have to go through this,” said Tonda DaRe, the mother of Holly Richards of Carrollton, who died Friday, the apparent victim of a drug overdose

Richards’ family attended the arraignment Tuesday of three men charged with selling heroin in the county.

Carroll County Sheriff Dale Williams said the accused men repeatedly traveled to Canton to buy drugs, reselling them in Carrollton and surrounding areas. The weekend’s arrests were the result of a two-month investigation into heroin sales in the region.

Kevin Ott, 27, of 332 Second St. NE; Charles D. Stutler, 21, of 3092 Jasmine Road; and Christopher J. Burris, 26, of 3198 Ivory Road NW, all of Carrollton, were arrested Sunday and charged with trafficking in heroin and possession of heroin after they sold the drug to undercover agents, according to sheriff’s reports.

Stutler told deputies during questioning late Sunday that he had driven Richards to Canton last week so she could purchase heroin, Williams said.

The official cause of Richards’ death remains under investigation by Carroll County Coroner Dr. Mandal B. Haas. He said autopsy results will not be back for about six weeks, and he will not make a ruling on the cause of death until then.

Municipal Court Judge Gary R. Willen set a $200,000 cash bond for each man, noting that the sales occurred near a playground.

Following the arraignment hearing, there was a brief but heated exchange of words between the families.

Family members and friends of the accused were dismissed from the courtroom, and the family of the deceased woman was held back until the first group had left the courthouse.

Preliminary hearings for Ott, Stutler and Burris are scheduled for Thursday.